Lucas di Grassi hailed his team for the bold strategy call they made at the Mexico City ePrix, and said his improbable win was evidence as to why ‘you must never give up’.
Di Grassi was demoted to the back of the field twice but managed to get his first win of the 2016-17 season.
His race looked like it might be over on the first lap, after Maro Engel ran into the back of him and damaged his rear wing.
His Abt Schaeffler Audi team were able to replace it though after ripping the damaged wing off the back of the car.
They then chose to pit him well before half race distance for his second car, and although it allowed him to close up to the back of the field, it left the Brazilian with a titanic effort needed to eke out his battery life.
He managed it perfectly however, and despite being helped by Jerome d’Ambrosio on a similar strategy holding up the rest of the field behind him, di Grassi took what he thought was one of his most impressive wins ever in his career.
Speaking after the race he said, “Today we have all seen what defines Formula E: you must never give up, regardless of how hopeless the situation appears to be.
“And especially the laps after my stop were possibly the best of my career: I had to manage my energy and couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
“My thanks go to the team in the pits, which was brave enough to risk trying this bold strategy.”
The win helped to make up for last year, when di Grassi won the inaugural Mexico City ePrix only to be disqualified after his car was found to be underweight.
It also hauled him back into title contention, as Sebastien Buemi’s disappointing thirteenth placed finish saw the gap at the top reduced to just five points.
Driver’s Championship
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Team’s Championship
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